USHL Youngstown Phantoms

Phantoms Fend off Fighting Saints 5-3

Published on February 3, 2012 under United States Hockey League (USHL)
Youngstown Phantoms News Release


DUBUQUE, Iowa - The Youngstown Phantoms scored five goals in a victory over the Dubuque Fighting Saints, the defending Clark Cup champions, but it was not the offensive output that impressed Head Coach Anthony Noreen the most Friday night.

It was his team's work ethic, and no one player or play exemplified if better than Alex Gacek in the game's final minute.

The Phantoms (22-13-3, T-third East) iced the puck with 44 seconds remaining, setting the stage for a crucial defensive zone draw with Dubuque's net empty at the other end. Dylan Margonari won it cleanly, but the puck was again launched down the length of the ice. Despite clear exhaustion, Gacek chased the it all the way down to negate the icing and eventually force an errant pass that was intercepted by Soren Jonzzon around the left circle, and thrown into the gaping goal to secure a 5-3 win.

"That was the gutsiest play of the game right there," Noreen said. "For him to beat that [icing] out - starting well behind the guy he was chasing and after being stuck out on the ice for a minute and a half - that was just flat out gutsy."

The Phantoms got a pair of goals from JT Stenglein, while Austin Cangelosi (1G-2A-3PTS), Sam Anas (1G-1A-2PT) and Mike Ambrosia (0G-2A-2PTS) also had multi-point games. Goaltender Matthew O'Connor made 24 saves on 27 shots for his third win of the season over the Fighting Saints (22-12-3, T-third East).

"We challenged our guys tonight," Noreen said. "Dubuque earned the championship last year and until someone beats them, it's theirs. But to come in their building and get a win, I think our guys rose to the occasion."

Anas gave the Phantoms the lead just past the four-minute mark in first period. Eric Sweetman snatched a Fighting Saints' pass in his own zone and skated it up on an odd-man rush. He moved it to Cangelosi on the right wing, who threw it back to Mike Ambrosia on the left. The captain shot the puck on net and it ricocheted out into the slot where Anas, who was trailing on the play, nabbed the rebound and whacked it right back into the for his ninth of the season and fourth against the Fighting Saints.

Then, less than two minutes later, Fighting Saints captain Zemgus Girgensons was given a game misconduct and ejected for spearing in the midst of a after-whistle altercation with Kevin Liss. Dubuque's bench was slapped with another penalty for contesting the call, giving the Phantoms an extended 5-on-3. Stenglein made the most of the two-man advantage, rifling a slap shot from the right point past Fighting Saints goaltender Matt Morris to make it a 2-0 game just 6:24 into the first period.

"In all honesty, I think having Kevin Liss in the lineup was the difference tonight," Noreen said of the blue liner who had missed the Phantoms' last 14 games with a lower body injury.

"From his first shift he was right in the mix. He drew that four-minute penalty, finished hits and blocked shots."

But Dubuque cut the lead in half at the 9:44 mark when Milos Bubela forced a turnover in the Phantoms' end and fed Jono Davis, who beat O'Connor going five-hole. Both teams clamped down for the final 10 minutes of the period to keep the score at 2-1 heading into the first intermission.

Stenglein made it a two-goal game again just 30 seconds into the second period. Margonari fed him at center ice and the Greece, N.Y., native split the defense and put a backhand past Morris for his second of the night, and first mutli-goal game since Dec. 10.

"It was funny because JT has been saying all year that he hasn't had a back-hand goal," Noreen said. "So that was his first of the year, and it was a big one."

But, Dubuque made it a one-goal margin once again at the 3:49 mark when Davis batted in a floating puck for his second of the night. The Phantoms, however, would carry the 3-2 lead into the third.

Near the 5-minute mark in the final period, Cangelosi was denied on a backdoor feed from Ambrosia. But just seconds later, Anas forced a turnover while the Fighting Saints were attempting a breakout, and he hit a streaking Cangelosi at center ice, who went in alone and buried one on Morris to make it 4-2.

Davis though, brought the Fighting Saints back within one at the 8:59 mark when he knocked in a rebound for his third goal of the night, shaping for a frantic final minutes that ended after Gacek's final push.

"We talk about having a refuse to lose attitude, and if you're going to make a run at things, in any sport, you need to know that guys are battling for one another," Noreen said. "That's what we did tonight."

"Now we have to go into Cedar Rapids tomorrow night and back it up with anther one."

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United States Hockey League Stories from February 3, 2012


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